Tainted: Origins of a Psycho

Gone

February 20, 1999

Sister Veronica stared down at her clipboard for a while after her latest therapy session with Vincent.  His time at the infirmary was more than halfway finished, and still she wracked her brain for an answer to his problems.

She was certain that his father was on board with the idea of sending Vincent to live with a distant relative, but his grandmother had no intention of letting him go without a fight.

No matter what Sister Veronica recommended, she knew that someone's toes would be stepped on. Her decision boiled down to the safety and well being of her patient, and she planned to do everything she could to shelter him from any more harm. 

The light knock on her door stole her attention away from the clipboard, and she opened the door to find Vincent standing there.  His mahogany eyes showed a reflection of the worry that grew inside of him.

"Would you mind if I came in for a minute?"  He asked, though he was already stepping inside.

"Not at all."  Veronica said, closing the door behind them.  She knew that it was against the rules for him to be in her room, but she wanted to hear what he had to say before sending him away.

Vincent sat on the foot of her bed and looked down at his feet.  "Thanks.  I promise I won't stay long.  I-I just need to talk for a little while."

"What would you like to talk about?"

"It doesn't matter. I just don't wanna be alone."

Veronica sat down next to him and folded her hands in her lap.  During their last session, Vincent talked about the guilt that he harbored for allowing his mother to be treated so badly.  The tears that spilled down his face as he lamented were heart wrenching.

She tried to assure him that there was nothing he could have done to change his father's behavior, but her words were hollow to him.  There seemed to be no convincing him of his innocence.

Vincent heaved a long, weary sigh before looking up at her. "Do you think my mommy is in heaven?"

The question caught her off guard. She bit her lip and stared into his eyes with compassion as she considered the best way to answer him.

"The pastor at my old church said that people who commit suicide go to hell." Vincent said, rubbing the back of his neck. "He said God won't forgive them."

"Well, that pastor sounds like a moron." Veronica blurted out, causing Vincent to stare at her in astonishment. The nun cleared her throat and said, "Forgive me if that was a little blunt, but that is a very ignorant statement for someone to make."

"Does that mean he was wrong?"

"Yes, he was wrong." She answered, "If your mother loved Jesus and accepted him as her Savior, then she is in heaven with Him right now."

Vincent pondered her answer silently for a moment, then nodded his head. "You're right. I'm sure that God forgave her for killing herself. He knows that she had a hard life." His eyes flashed with anger and his fists clenched in his lap. "Victor was so cruel."

"Try not to think about your father." Veronica said, "You'll just get upset."

"I can't help it!" Vincent cried, tears gushing down his face. "I hate him so much! I wish he was dead!"